Straw-dispensing device.



H. B. GRIEL & P. E. SHEE.

STRAW DISPENSING DEVICE.

APPLICATION mm FEB. I4. 916.

' 1,21 1,139. Patented Jan.2,1917.

i L FEE TS HOWARD B. GRIEL AND PARKE E. SHEE, OF LANCASTER,PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS '10 NO-TOUCH STRAW HOLDER 00., 0F LANCASTER,PENNSYLVANIA.

STRAW-DISPENSING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented J an. 2, 1917.

Application filed February 14, 1916. Serial No. 78,224.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, HOWARD B. GRIEL andPARKE E. SHEE, citizens of the United States, residing at Lancaster, inthe county of Lancaster and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Straw-Dispensing. Devices, of which thefollowing is a specification.

Our invention relates to improvements in straw dispensing devices, fordelivering the straws used in drinking beverages of any character.

One object of our invention is the provision of a device of thecharacter and for the purpose stated which will be absolutely sani taryin that it will provide a container which will conceal and protect thestraws from outside interference or influence and which will deliveronly one straw at each operation.

A further object of our invention is the provision of a sanitary devicewhich will be easy to operate and absolutely certain and reliable inoperation and which can be made of any suitable material and present anornamental appearance.

A further object of the invention is the production of a strawdispensing device which will be of extremely simple construction toinsure cheapness of manufacture and which in every respect will beeflicient and practical.

With these objects in view the invention consists of a straw dispensingdevice comprising a container having an inclined bottom and top, saidtop having a discharge spout having a cap to control said spout andretain and guide the straw and a gravity ejector for engaging andlifting a single straw.

The invention also consists of a straw dispensing device embodying novelfeatures of construction and combination of parts as herein shown,described and claimed.

In order that the construction in detail and the operation of our devicemay be understood and its advantages be fully appreciated, we have shownin the accompanying drawing a straw dispensing device conand gravityejector, and in dotted lines the position of the straw ejector andhinged cap in the act of delivering the straw, and Fig. 3 represents atop plan view of the device.

Our aim is to produce a simple, inexpensive and ornamental device whichwill prove absolutely sanitary and in carrying our invention intoeffect, we employ a container A, of proper size, shape and materialhaving a heavy conical bottom B, and a conical top C, provided with aflaring discharge spout D, covered and controlled by the hinged cap orcover E. This forms a container of suitable size and of metal, glass, orother desired material in which the straws are placed and concealed andprotected from the outside, and to effect only the delivery of a singlestraw, we provide the conical bottom of the container with a recess F,forming a seat for the hook G, on the rounded and slightly deflected endH, on the lifting rod or straw ejector J, which is of angular shapeabove the rounded lower portionH, and fits and is guided in the angularopening K, in the top of the container, said rod having a suitablegrasping portion L for lifting the rod, the rounded portion H limitingthe movement of the ejector, thereby preventing its detachment by reasonofthe diameter of the round portion of the ejector, at the point wherethe angular portion begins, being greater than the width of the angularopening K in the top of the container.

In operation the straws are placed in the container and the lifting rodor ejector is in the normal position as shown in full lines in Fig. 2,and when a straw is desired the ejector is raised and the hook on itslower end engages the bottom of the straw and discharges it through thespout as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, the cover holding the strawsin projected condition by frictional contact.

The most important features of our invention are the conical bottom withrecess and the gravity ejector with lifting hook as this constructioninsures automatic and positive action of the engagement and delivery ofa single straw at each operation the conical top and bottom assisting inguiding the ends of the straw.

The device may be made of any suitable material and may be ornamental ifdesired or may be made to carry advertising matter,

and it must be apparent that we provide a cheap, practical andabsolutely sanitary device for dispensing straws.

1. A straw dispensing device, consisting of a container having a recessin its bottom and a gravity ejector having a hook to nor- 'mally lie insaid recess and discharge the straw through the top of the container,said e ector having an upper angular portion guided in the cover of thecontainer and a lower enlarged portion to limit the movement and preventdetachment of said ejector.

2. A straw dispensing device, consisting of a container having a conicalbottom formed with a recess and a conical top having a discharge spout,a hinged cover for said spout, and a gravity ejector guided in saidspout adapted to engage and retain the.

straw whenfraised, said top having an angular opening, therein, and agravity ejector guided in said opening and having a hook Copies of thispatent may be obtained for bottom of the container.

4. A straw dispensing device, consisting of a container having a conicalbottom formed with a recess and a conical top having a discharge spout,a hinged coverlfor said spout, a hook on the lower end ofthe ejector"seated in the recess of the bottom of the container adapted to engageone straw at a time, and a grasping portion on itsupper end for liftingthe ejector, said gravity ejector 'having an angular upper'guidingportion and a lower rounded portion, said rounded portlon hunting themovement of the ejector, substantially as described.

"5. A straw dispensing device, consisting of a' container having aconical bottom formed with a recess and a conical top having a dischargespout, said top having an angular opening therein, and agravity ejectorgulded 1n sa1d openlng and having a hook at its lower end seated in therecess in the bottom of the container, said ejector having an enlargedportion to limit its upward-movement and prevent its dislodgment fromthe container. r

In testimony whereof we aflix our signatures in the presence of twowitnesses. Q

' HOWARD B. GRIEL' V PARKE E. SHEE. Witnesses: JOHN H. MYERs,

'J. S. BROWN. I

five cents e ach, by' addressing the Commissioner of Patents,'WashingtomD. O. V

at its lower end seated in the recess in the i

